Worcester residents startled by train horns at CSX freight yard

Thursday

Feb 7, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Nick Kotsopoulos TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Responding to recent complaints about trains repeatedly blowing their horns in the early-morning hours, a CSX representative Wednesday night told the Planning Board the blowing of horns cannot be avoided without violating federal law.

Robert E. Longden Jr., a local attorney representing CSX, said federal regulations require trains to blow their horns when entering the terminal and whenever trains pass one another within it.

Leonard Ciuffredo, chairman of the Brown Square Crime Watch Group, said people living in the Atlanta Street and Lake Avenue areas have complained about horns in the early morning.

He said the problem will likely get worse after the expansion project is completed and the freight terminal is able to accommodate more traffic.

“The noise issue seems to have multiplied,” Mr. Ciuffredo said. “Trains are coming into the yard during the early-morning hours blowing their horns for long durations. Naturally, I think this problem is only going to get worse after this project is done.”

In a related matter, the Planning Board Wednesday night unanimously approved 25 “minor” changes to the definitive site plan approved in 2011 for the expansion of the CSX terminal, located between Shrewsbury and Franklin streets.

The changes include modifications to crossing areas within the terminal, the relocation of trees near the main entrance, driveway widening and additional infrastructure at Foch Avenue, the relocation of fences along Tampa and Grafton streets, and some signage changes.

The proposed changes gave people an opportunity to voice concerns about overnight noise, an issue recently brought to the attention of the City Council by District 3 Councilor George J. Russell.

Mr. Longden said a review was done in response to complaints in the Lake Avenue area and it was found that the times when train horns were sounded and the decibel levels from those horns did not exceed federal requirements. He said the Federal Railroad Administration has been made aware of those findings.

“What is happening there (CSX terminal) is what is required by federal law,” Mr. Longden said. “The problem is there are residential properties adjacent to the terminal. This has been operating as a train terminal for 150 years.”

Before CSX expanded its terminal from 58 acres to nearly 80 acres, the freight yard went as far east as Fantasia Drive, which is a largely an industrial and commercial area. But with the $100 million expansion project, the freight yard now goes as far east as Atlanta Street, where there are more homes.

When trains approach the freight yard in that area and they are required to sound their horns, the noise can be heard by more people in their homes.

Jo Hart said residents of the Lake Avenue and Atlanta Street areas were never told they would have to put up with train horns blowing overnight when the expansion project was initially proposed and under consideration.

“The city did not have to allow this, but it was railroaded through by certain people,” she said.

Mr. Ciuffredo asked the Planning Board to require CSX to send a mailing to all residents living within 1,000 feet of the terminal letting them know how they could contact CSX with noise complaints they may have.

He said signs are supposed to be posted around the CSX property with that information, but many people have been unable to find them.

Mr. Longden said signs have been placed on the CSX property, and contact information is also posted on the CSX website as well as the city’s website.